FEATURE: Josh Boutwell reviews 2/14 Impact Wrestling

Josh’s Final Impact February 15, 2013By: Josh Boutwell of Wrestleview.com

If you like a lot of action last night’s Impact was for you, but they also forwarded some storylines and we got the first two official announcements for Lockdown. First, Jeff Hardy will defend the World Title inside a Steel Cage against an opponent not yet named and Sting will lead 3 other teammates in a Lethal Lockdown Match against 4 Aces & Eights members.

Hulk Hogan started the show off and for the live crowd I’m sure that was best but for the TV crowd we see it all the time, but he didn’t just come out to pander to the crowd. He made the Lockdown announcements and the matches for tonight featuring mostly former World Champions.

The first match was the only one that didn’t feature a former World Champion in Daniels & Magnus. Magnus sure looks like a superstar in the UK with the reaction he gets and Daniels gets great heat anywhere so it just made him look that much more. Fun, back & forth match from these two with Magnus looking extremely strong in the process.

It’s no secret that the Angle & Joe feud (along with AJ & Daniels) is one of my favorite TNA feuds of all time and I’ve said it constantly. Joe & Angle didn’t disappoint the UK crowd and they were beating the hell out of each other with brutal shots and some really great wrestling. The finish made sense as it furthers Angle’s beef with Brisco & Garett while both Joe & Angle look strong in the process.

I was really shocked that the British Boot Camp guys got so much offense in their match. I’m not a fan of Party Marty’s name at all (like Spud’s) but he was pretty solid in the ring, though that dive looked like it could have been really dangerous. I blamed it on Jesse last night but I’m not sure that’s the case after seeing it a few more times. It may have just a case of Marty overshooting Jesse a bit. The Blossom Twins look really good and seemed to hit everything well and they had some unique double team offense as well. The twin thing can get really confusing, though that might be what they’re going for (like the Bella Twins).

Storm and RVD had a really good match with some really nice sequences that they planned out nicely. Storm got a much needed win here and I really think he’s going to be recruited by Sting as a part of Team TNA where he could shine (but I’m getting ahead of myself).

I know I say it ever week but damn I love the Aries & Roode pairing. They are absolutely the most entertaining thing on TV (in terms of wrestling) right now. Everything about that match was absolutely terrific from the double finger pokes of doom, the double Eddie Guerrero spots, the great back and forth action, the pre-match promo. Just absolutely terrific. I’m sure it sucks for the live crowd but even the finish worked because you had the babyface team (though Aries & Roode get far better reactions) taunting the heels and then the heels actually cost each other the match by fighting each other trying to get back to the ring before they’re counted out.

Over the last few weeks I have tried really hard to stay away from the spoilers but it’s pretty much impossible at this point so if you don’t want to be spoiled stop reading now. When I read that Bully Ray is going to be announced as the #1 contender I thought it was the dumbest thing ever especially after they had all the matches with everyone but Bully during this show, but as the show went on and we saw the segments with Bully Ray and Brooke and Hulk it all started to come together to me (if I’m right, if I’m wrong then that’s egg on my face). It seems as if Bully is pulling the strings on Brooke with his “injury” and she goes and tells Hogan about how much he wants to be like Hulk and how he never got a real shot at the title in his career thus far. Then, it just so happens as Hulk is getting ready to announce the #1 contender out comes Aces & Eights. Who’s the first to come to Hulk’s rescue? The injured Bully Ray to show how much of a “warrior” he is to Hulk. Now, Bully gets the title shot (next week it’s supposed to be announced) and I believe that he WILL win the strap at Lockdown and be revealed as the one behind Aces & Eights all along. The only question I have right now is if Brooke is on it or is he just manipulating her to manipulate Hulk. It’s at the least got me intrigued now, IF that’s the way they go.